Housing Assistance Council Grant Awarded to NeighborWorks Umpqua for Douglas County Veterans

NeighborWorks Umpqua has been awarded a grant from the Housing Assistance Council (HAC) to help make critical repairs to veteran-owned homes in Roseburg. NeighborWorks Umpqua was one of ten non-profit housing organizations across the country, and the only one in Oregon, to receive funding as part of HAC’s Affordable Housing for Rural Veterans Initiative.

NeighborWorks Umpqua will use the $30,000 grant award to assist no less than three veteran homeowners carry out critical repairs focused on addressing accessibility modifications, replacing unsafe major components like leaking plumbing, old electrical wiring, failed roofs, and inefficient or dangerous heating systems, and other repairs that can help veterans protect and preserve their homes and improve the quality of their housing so it is safe and sound. NeighborWorks Umpqua will prioritize serving veterans of modest means.

“We are honored to have received this grant, which gives us the ability to serve additional veterans in Roseburg. No one who has served our country should live in substandard housing conditions,” explains Brian Shelton-Kelley, Director of Acquisitions and Development with NeighborWorks Umpqua. “We will work closely with veteran’s service organizations and our community social service providers, as well as the local VA offices to identify homeowners who would be eligible for assistance under this program.”

“A disproportionately high number of rural Americans serve in the armed forces and they deserve to have decent, affordable homes,” said Moises Loza, the HAC’s Executive Director. HAC builds the capacity of local housing nonprofits to help more veterans and others in their communities. HAC provides grants, training, research, loans, and other assistance to rural nonprofits that serve veterans. Founded in 1971 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., HAC is a national nonprofit dedicated to helping local rural organizations build affordable homes by providing below-market financing, technical assistance, training, research, and information services. To learn more, visit http://www.ruralhome.org/veterans.